The Last Benders
by Lux Bravo
Summary: 483 years ago saw the near-annihilation of the Elemental Benders of the planet Omegia...Now, a new Avatar has been discovered in a world where Anti-Benders rule with iron fists. With her friends at her side, can this new Avatar free the world? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Here is a new story pitched to me by supersasaiyan3goku, which has obvious elements of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" in it. As I'm currently trying to juggle three stories, I'm afraid that this story will be updated when I have time. Also, instead of being an Asian-themed setting, this world will take place in a Final Fantasy VII-esque world, a combination of modernisation and oldness, minus the pollution and evil company.

The Last Benders

Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd n Eddy/Danny Antonucci or Avatar the Last Airbender/Production Team. All I own are O.C.'s (who you will know if you've read my other stories) and the world this story is set in. Credit to supersaiyan3goku (great guy!) for pitching me the basics of this story.

Chapter One: The Circus

483 years ago (1527)

ooo

Darkness hung over the barren, desolate strip of land like a blanket trying to blot out and smother all traces of life on this pathetic strip of raw, dusty earth. The city that surrounded the two, a once great, sprawling metropolis and the main settlement which connected the two main landmasses of Palmoth, the Kingdom of Fire, now laying empty and rotting, the screams of the dying and the clang of swords echoing throughout the gray, bloodied city.

The man and woman, both standing on a large broad tower at the heart of the port, stood glaring at each other. They were both suffering heavy wounds, and were responsible for the death of hundreds.

The woman was dressed in a tattered blue robe, with a raggedy, silver cape fluttering about her shoulders. Her arms were covered in cuts and slashes, oozing blood, and there was a nasty weeping welt on her back. Her pale, silvery skin was even paler than normal, as though Death Herself had her in Her grasp, and her wavy, curling frigid-blue hair was covered in the blood of both herself and others. In her right hand was a kunai, and she was poised to through it at the man.

He himself was badly injured, though better off than the dying woman. He wore a purple suit of armour, with black swirls all over it, and his dark, cobalt-blue hair was tied back into a ponytail. His skin was pale like the northern wind, but he was not dying. He held a sleek, lethal j=katana in his hand, covered in the crimson life force and responsible for the deaths of many Benders who had lost their lives in this: the Great Battle.

"Chenga," whispered the woman, her voice laboured and weak, "why did you do this?"

"Dear sister," smirked Chenga, "do you really want to know why I did this? It was for fame, glory and recognition. Recognition that **I **was the best warrior in the history of the planet, the warrior who smote the scourge of all mankind: The Benders."

"You and your Hunters claim to stamp out evil, which to you is Benders," cried the woman, "yet you are a Waterbender yourself!"

"Shanom," snarled Chenga, "I have fully and willingly given up my powers to my Lord, and have renounced my powers of Bending. I will be remembered for killing out all Benders, and ruling the planet at the side of my Master. I will rule with him for doing the greatest deed in the world; killing my sister."

"The Avatar."

"Do not think I will go out without a fight," whispered Shanom, and a large ball of water began to form around her. Her eyes glowed blue and bright, as the ball of water began to grow and grow and expanded at extreme measures. Though he despised his sister and what she was, Chenga could not help but stare in awe at his sister's fearsome display of pure, raw power.

Power that only the Avatar could command.

"You will pay for what you have done!" screamed Shanom, trapping her estranged brother in a ball of air so he could witness what he had driven the dying Avatar to do in her final moments of life.

Black clouds of storm gathered over the Palmothia Pass, over the city where all had fallen silent at the large orb of water forming at the heart of the city. It began to rain, but not a soft, caressing rain; no, it was a rain where the icy water poured from the open heavens in torrents, lashing and striking at any unprotected flesh it found. An earthquake began, the land quaking and shaking as though the Spirit of Earth himself had picked up the strip of land and was shaking it like a rattle. Screams resonated throughout the open air, as a huge chasm began to pierce its way through the centre of the city. It wound its way around the tower, so that as the earth moved apart it was like a lost island surrounded by a sea of rock and molten fire. Large waves began to stir off the coast the coast of Alrecia, the city that was unfortunate enough to be the site of the Great Battle, and began to menacingly advance towards the coast, gathering velocity and more water until they were tsunamis of huge heights, ready to greedily devour the city and its tens of thousands of remaining inhabitants. The tsunamis suddenly stopped their destructive path about a mile off the coast; they formed huge chunks of ice that encased the city. The agonised screams and cries of those futilely attempting to escape the trapped city were plentiful, and Shanom, still in the Avatar State, glared hard and long at her brother.

"Never forget, Chenga," she whispered, "you caused this."

And in her mind, Shanom felt sadness for her fellow Benders.

_I am sorry, my kin,_ she thought. _I have succeeded in destroying the Hunters, yet I have failed in saving you._

_Forgive me._

The ice tsunamis shattered, and millions of gallons of frigid sea water fell onto Alrecia. The strip of land broke off from the two main Palmothian landmasses, and the submerged city began to descend deeper into the sea, the Palmoth Pass submerging along with. Yet Shanom and Chenga were safe in the eye of the storm, a whirling maelstrom of water all around them. Still in the Avatar State, Shanom began to burn. Her skin caught aflame, yet no screams of agony escaped from her mouth. Chenga watched with sick horror as his sister's-no, not his sister's- the _Avatar's_ corpse began to ignite and decompose, and the whirling water collapsed around him. In his last moments, Chenga-the pride of the newly-formed Hunters-fell something for the first time. He felt remorse for his actions.

Then a blinding fiery light, like an exploding star, covered his vision, and Chenga was destroyed by the exploding Avatar.

ooo

483 Years Later (2010)

ooo

"Tell me more about the Avatars, Grandma," whispered Nazz excitedly, sitting cross-legged on the blanket before her grandma. Eleion gazed at her granddaughter, a warm smile on her face. Nazz was a beautiful, healthy girl, and looked amazing for a fourteen year old. Her sunny blonde hair was long and fell to her elbows, though today she wore it in a bun that rested on the back of her neck, and it was styled to look like a bob. She wore a white, simple tank-top, and a black knee-length skirt. She wore white leggings and black slip-ons as well as a black cardigan over her top. Her sapphire-blue eyes were staring intently at her grandma, her loving, wise grandma, who had cared for her all her life.

Eleion was in her late seventies, with starry-white hair that flowed freely around her torso, and the exact same eyes as Nazz. She wore an ordinary green dress, with a jade shawl around it, and brown sandals. Eleion always wore green; she had been born in the early 1930's, when green was the predominant colour worn in Algia, the Earth Kingdom.

"No more stories, my little turtle dove," spoke Eleion gently, for old age had softened her frail voice.

"Oh please," pleaded Nazz. "Just one more?"

"Yes, Aunt Eleion," spoke Eddward. "How about the last Avatar?"

Edd was sitting on the blanket, next to Nazz. Edd was kind and studious, and was Nazz's closest and best friend. When Nazz was only a baby, Eleion had one night found a baby, nestled in a wooden basket with a shawl draped over him, on their front doorstep. Apparently, there had been a note with the baby Edd, telling whoever found him that his parents were ill and could not tend to him; the note also mentioned his name, age and birthday.

Now that he was fourteen, and older than Nazz, Edd was a fine young man. He had cerulean-blue eyes, lighter in tone than Nazz, and spiky, deep-brown hair; however, he chose to cover it up with a black hat that had been left in his basket (every year, Eleion made him a new and bigger one). He wore a flame-red tunic, with blue denim shorts and black sneakers. His socks were orange and came up to mid-shin.

"Oh no, my dears," said Eleion gravely, "I've said far too much already, and I don't like speaking about the Last Avatar."

"Why?" asked Nazz with a pout. "You never tell us about the Last Avatar, and you only tell stories about the two before that!"

"That's enough, young lady," said Eleion. "Now off you go and play."

"Grandma," said Nazz tentatively, "can I go outside?"

"Nazz, dear," said her grandmother, "I'm afraid you can't."

"But why?" asked Nazz sadly.

"Because, it might…be…erm…dangerous! Yes, you never know what kooks and creeps stalk the streets these days, I tell you! Society is descending into a hell-hole, mark my words, and I don't want you to be dragged down with it!"

Elion finished her speech with a look of authority on her face.

"Fine, Grandma," spoke Nazz sourly, and ran out of the living room and up the stairs. Eleion turned pleadingly to Edd, who nodded in understanding and walked up the stairs to Nazz's room. The door was locked.

"Nazz?" asked Edd softly. "May I please come in?"

He heard a chair being pushed back, and Nazz walking up to the door. He heard her unlock the door, and then it opened, Nazz standing there with slightly red eyes.

"Hi," said Nazz, "com on in." She briskly walked into her room, with Edd carefully following behind her. Her room was large yet simple; everything had at least a touch of violet-purple on it, as well as white. Nazz sat gloomily on her double, four-poster bed, and Edd sat down next to her.

"Nazz," began Edd, choosing his words carefully, as Nazz was having many mood swings these days (a result of entering adolescence), "please don't be angry with your grandma. I know that she only has your best intentions at heart."

"Well," raged Nazz, "if she has my best intentions at heart, then why won't she listen to me? All my life I've been cooped up in this house, large and expansive though it may be, never allowed to go outside!"

"Perhaps Aunt Eleion thinks its unsafe," remarked Edd, who called Eleion his aunt because she had raised him his whole life.

"Really, Double-D?" asked Nazz, Double-D her pet nickname for him. "How unsafe could it be? Look at it this way; we live in one of the safest districts of Herleville, where guards patrol the streets every night. The crime and fire rate is very low, and there are lots of families in the area. It would have been a perfect environment to grow up in, but I was never allowed out! She even got private tutors for us!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Glen are very nice," said Edd firmly, "and remember, I have never been allowed out either!"

"I know!" agreed Nazz. "If it wasn't for your, like, company, then I would have gone crazy ages ago!" Edd smiled when Nazz said this.

"Well, Nazz," spoke Edd slyly, "if it's freedom that you want, then it's freedom that you'll get." He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and laid it out on Nazz's bed, Nazz staring at it in wonderment. It was a promotional poster, very colourful and bright, which read:

_Come and see Taileia's Travelling Circus of the Moon!_

_Gaze upon our amazing displays with wonder, as you gape at acts such as:_

"_Strongman Rolf," who can lift a hundred kilogram barbell with one hand!_

"_Ritzy Rebecca," an acrobat who performs jaw-dropping stunts!_

_And "Ringmaster Taileia," whose magical feats will entrance you!_

_Come along any night at 9 P.M. between Sunday 10__th__-Monday 18__th__ May 2010 to see these acts for yourself!_

"It floated through my window a few days ago," explained Edd. "I looked it up in a newspaper, and apparently it's a very famous circus. It only costs 8.00 Gil per person to get in, so we could go tonight, seeing as how it's the last day it's in town."

"Aw, Double-D!" giggled Nazz. "Would you really do this for me?"

"Of course, Nazz," smiled Edd, and as she went into her wardrobe to find a bag to wear, Edd whispered something only he could hear.

"I'd do anything for you."

ooo

"Shh!" fretted Edd in a whisper. "Aunt Eleion will hear us!"

It was half-past eight at night, and Nazz and Edd were creeping down the staircase in their house. After telling Eleion they were going to have an early night, they waited for half an hour before deciding to leave. They managed to get to the bottom of the staircase without incident, but this was where the trouble began. In order to get to the front door, they would have to cross the doorway to the living room, where Eleion would be reading a book, as she always did every night before bed.

Edd peeked out over the door, expecting Eleion to see him and ask him why he was up. Instead, he was amused to see Eleion dozing in her armchair, with her book resting over her breath, making her breathing sound loud and husky. Nazz peeked out too, and almost burst out laughing at her grandmother's sleeping position. They quietly tiptoed through the hallway an up to the wooden, stain-glassed window front door. Edd reached for the keys, hanging on a hook by the door, and unlocked the three locks. They all clicked open silently, and Nazz and Edd stepped out and emerged into the cool night air. Edd locked the door behind them, and stuffed the keys into his pocket so they could get back in later. With that, Nazz and Edd began to walk to the local park, where the circus was being held.

It was dark and cloudy for late spring, and the clouds covered the fading, black sky like angry bruises. The streetlights were turned on, and everything was silent in the street, a silence which unnerved both Edd and Nazz. Before they turned a street corner, they saw a menacing shadow advancing towards the corner; the large helmet, clearly identifiable in the shadow, showed that whoever it belonged to was a Hunter, the malicious, international police force that patrolled the entire planet. Nazz began to panic at the prospect they might get caught.

"Oh no!" she whimpered. "If the Hunter sees us, then they'll detain us! I've seen how strict they are on the I.V. (Imavision), like how you can go to prison for half a year if your under eighteen and out at night in the dark."

"Well, we need to hide!" whispered Edd frantically. He looked around, finally seeing a clean-looking wooden bench. Grabbing Nazz's hand, he hurried to the bench as the Hunter grew ever nearer the street corner. Motioning for Nazz to be silent, Edd 9after composing himself) hugged her, pulling her tight to his chest and burying his face in the hollow of her neck.

"If we do this," whispered Edd, as the Hunter-tall, imposing and dressed in green and black armour- began to round the corner, "it'll look like we're older than fourteen, and that we're…um…together."

"Good plan, Double D!" whispered Nazz brightly, and she done to Edd what he was doing to her. As the Hunter passed by them, his helmet glinting in the moonlight, he thought that Nazz and Edd looked like a married couple, locked in a tight embrace. As the Hunter walked off down the street, Nazz broke off the embrace, and grinned at Edd.

"That was a good plan, Double-D!" she said, lightly pecking him on the cheek. "Now let's get to that circus!"

"Yes…" said Edd dreamily, who was thankful that it was dark as he was blushing up a storm.

ooo

"This is so exciting!" cried Nazz, her voice almost drowned out by the intense and noisy hustle-and-bustle of the packed circus. She and Edd had managed to obtain front row seats, so they would have an amazing view of all the acts that were performing.

"I agree!" spoke Edd heartily; he was in a very cheerful mood after being so close to Nazz. "I'm filled with anticipation!"

Suddenly the noise began to die down, and the fairy-lights, illuminating the orange-and-red fabric of the large circus tent, began to dim. A golden spotlight beamed down onto a young woman standing in the centre of the ring. She wore a purple dress and top-hat, with wavy black hair and intelligent lavender irises.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" she boomed. "I cordially welcome you all to Taileia's Travelling Circus of the Moon! Let the acts…begin!"

The next hour or so was filled with countless of unique and wonderful acts, causing Nazz and Edd to suffer from overexcitement. This was a superb outing from them, and the night couldn't get any better.

Until everything turned bad when the Hunters came.

A group of about six entered through the tent-door, and began to show people several pictures, asking them if they had seen the girl in the photo. A forgotten photo drifted into Edd's lap, and he picked it up to be stunned that **Nazz was the girl in the photo**!

"Nazz!" he hissed. "Look!"

Nazz took the photo off him, and her face turned ashen-white, all the blood disappearing from her cheeks.

"But why are they looking for me?" she hissed back at Edd. "I've done nothing wrong!"

"Sir! Over there!"

Nazz and Edd looked up to see a new-recruit Hunter pointing at them from their right, showing his senior where the target was. The elder Hunter smirked, yet didn't bother walking to Nazz to apprehend her for the crime she didn't commit. Instead, he reached into his holster, and slowly pulled out something, hidden under his cloak so as to avoid raising the alarm. Nazz, however, saw a glint of light on metal under his cloak, and came to the realization that he was carrying a gun! Nazz urgently whispered this to Edd. Before he could reply, a gunshot ran out in the activity of the tent.

"GET DOWN!" screamed Edd, dropping to the floor and pulling Nazz with him. A bullet zoomed over their heads and ricocheted off a chair, while the Hunters fired more bullets at the crouching duo. By now, panic had filtered into the atmosphere, and the civilians were desperately trying to escape the tent. Nazz got off the ground and ran into the centre of the arena , Edd following behind her. They both realised what a mistake this was, as now all six Hunters had a clear shot.

"Fire!" commanded the senior Commander, and six triggers were pulled. Nazz and Ed huddled together, expecting to be shot dead; but they were never hit. They both opened their eyes, which had been screwed shut, to find that a wall of rock had risen up around them. They heard a Hunter say "He's a Bender!" before the wall of rock zoomed outwards, slamming into the Hunters and sending them flying. A boy and girl of about fourteen came up to them, and Nazz saw that they were "Strongman" Rolf and "Ritzy" Rebecca.

Rolf was tall and muscular, with a thick mop of dark-blue hair and chestnut brown eyes. His skin was tanned a light brown, and he wore a brown vest-tunic, blue cropped pants and brown sandals. There were also two pieces of red cloth tied around his wrists, and his overall appearance was very though and masculine.

Rebecca was thin and around the same height as Edd, with lean muscles developing on her arms and legs. She had shoulder-length, cropped blonde hair, and sparkling- grass-green eyes. She wore black jogging pants, a black t-shirt, a bright green hoodie, and black trainers with green laces.

"I'm glad your safe!" cried Rebecca. "I don't know why those Hunters attacked you, but Rolf knows. Tell them!"

"This is not the time or place for secrets to be shared," said Rolf gravely. "Come. Rolf knows of a hidden place not far from here." Rolf raced out of the tent, with the other three kids following him. They exited into the park, and ran out of it, down many winding streets and pathways until they came to a stop in a hidden alley, overgrown with vegetation.

"Alright," said Edd firmly, "what is the meaning of this?"

"Rolf, the Son of a Shepherd, saved your life," explained Rolf. "Rolf used the Magic of Land to save you."

"What?" asked an extremely confused Nazz and Edd simultaneously.

"Allow me to explain," said Rebecca. "Hi! My name is Rebecca, and this is Rolf. We're members of Taileia's circus, but I've been travelling with Rolf for longer still. Earlier, in the tent, Rolf saved your lives by doing…Earthbending."

" Earthbending?" gasped Edd. "I thought that was merely a myth, like the Avatar!"

"Oh no," spoke Rebecca. "You see, I like to study history, and there are many mentions of Benders in esteemed history books around the globe. As you know, the planet is made up of four predominant Elements: Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Each Bender can control an Element: for example, and Airbender can manipulate Air, a Waterbender can control Water etc."

"However, there are hardly any Benders these days!" cried Edd. "If these Benders were so popular, then why have the basically died out these days?"

"I don't know," admitted Rebecca. "However, Rolf and I were departing from the circus tonight so that we could travel to Alphaville!"

"Why do you want to go to the capital of Algia?" asked Nazz,

"There are rumours that a library exists there, where a book is that holds all the history of Bending in its pages," gushed Rebecca. "If we find it, we may be able to find out what killed out the Benders, because very few exist today. Rolf's family is one of the last Earthbending clans in the world!"

"And you," said Rolf, pointing at Nazz, "must come with us."

"Why do I need to go?" asked Nazz, slightly taken-aback.

"A legend and picture in Rolf's family tells of the day you would come to save us," spoke Rolf reverently. "An aura of Bending power pulses from your being, meaning that you could only be one thing."

"Oh really?" asked Nazz. "Then who am I?"

"You are Avatar Nazz."

ooo

AN: Cliff-hanger! With Nazz finding out that she is the Avatar, how will she cope with the news? And what has Eleion hidden from Nazz all these years? Look out for the next chapter to find out!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Here is Chapter Two of "The Last Benders", which will focus on both Nazz's reaction and the group escaping from the Hunter infested town.

Chapter Two: The Escape

ooo

"You are Avatar Nazz."

Nazz, Edd and Rebecca looked at Rolf with three different expressions: Nazz looked like she thought he was crazy, Edd was astonished by his claim, and Rebecca simply looked amused. The Earthbender had said this all matter-of-factly, as though he had merely said, "Rolf is going shopping."

"I think you're mistaken," said Nazz, "because I'm not the Avatar. There's no way I could be one."

"Rolf believes that you are the Avatar," replied Rolf, "for it has been written that you, the next Avatar, would be an Earthbender, and that it was Rolf's duty to find you and teach you how to master Earthbending."

"Look, pal," said Nazz more firmly, "you can think what you want to think, but I'm not this Avatar you're looking for. You said that the next Avatar is an Earthbender: I can't do any Bending at all, so I think you've got the wrong girl."

"But-" began Rolf, before Nazz cut him off.

"Stay away from me!" she cried, her voice echoing off the walls that surrounded the dark, cobbled alley they were standing in. "I want nothing to do with this!"

She grabbed Edd's arm, and walked out of the alley, roughly pulling him along after her.

"Has your grandmother not yet told you of who you truly are?" asked Rolf from behind her. Nazz stopped dead in her tracks, and Edd jolted to a stop behind her. An icy chill crept down her spine, and a cold fist of fear enclosed around her heart. Nazz turned around, to face Rolf, her face now as white as a sheet.

"What did you say?" she asked, her voice small and croaky.

"Has Eleion not yet revealed to you that you are the Avatar?" repeated Rolf.

Before anyone could say something, two voices were heard at the opening of the alley. Thankfully, as it was so dark, the two Hunters couldn't see the fearful group lurking in the shadows.

"Did you hear about what happened at that circus?" asked one of them.

"Yeah," replied his companion, "like how they found some Benders hiding out there. Dirty scum!" Rolf tensed when he heard this remark.

"So yeah, they're lookin' for this blonde Bender. Tryin' to find out where she lives." Nazz glanced, terrified, at Edd. She turned to face the others, when she accidentally knocked over a trash can in the process. The resounding clang it made struck fear into the hearts of the group, who stood stock still as the Hunters, obviously, heard the noise.

"What was that?" asked the first Hunter, peering down the incredibly dim alley.

"I don't know, idiot," replied his companion. "Let's check it out!" The two Hunters, their bayonets drawn, began advancing towards the as-yet-unseen group. Without a sound, Rebecca leapt upwards and onto a roof, the stupid Hunters seeing nothing. As they drew nearer the group, Rebecca leapt down off of the roof, landing silently behind the anti-Bender duo. Acting fast, she pulled out five acupunctural needles.

"Take this, vermin!"

Rebecca stuck three needles into the first Hunter: one in his shoulder, one in the outer side of his right leg, and the last one in the hollow of his neck. She then turned to his comrade, who had a look of absolute shock on his face, and stuck both needles in either side of his neck. Both of the warriors flopped down onto the cobbled alleyway, their bodies unmoving as Edd and Nazz looked at Rebecca in horror.

"Did you kill them?" asked Nazz meekly.

"Of course not," replied the acrobat indignantly, "I merely stunned them, so they'll be unconscious for a few hours. Besides, I hate murder."

"That's reassuring," said Edd quietly.

"We need to get home **now**," pressed Nazz. "Grandma could be in serious trouble if the Hunters get there before us."

"They wouldn't hurt an innocent elderly lady, would they?" asked Edd quietly.

"They would if they believed she was related to Benders," said Rebecca, and Nazz and Edd looked at each other worriedly.

"We must get home immediately!" cried Edd.

"Rolf and the acrobat-in-leotard Rebecca girl will take you to you're abode, go-go-Avatar Nazz girl and friend."

"I'm sorry!" said Edd suddenly. "I never introduced myself! Oh, how rude…Well, my name is Eddward, but with two D's, so Nazz calls me Double-D for short."

"Hiya, Double-D," said Rebecca, nodding approvingly at his nickname. "Now, let's get a move on." Rebecca lead the group towards the entrance of the alley, and walked out a little way onto the main street, bathed in blackness. She instantly ran back into the alley, and motioned for the other three to be quiet and follow her. They neared the edge of the walls, and peered around the corners.

Advancing down the street were several trucks, all featuring the Hunter logo on them. Surrounding the trucks were several large cars, headlights blaring and forming a circle around the trucks. The regiment halted in the middle of the street, luckily quite a bit away from the alley, but then Hunter after Hunter began to disembark from the vehicles, armed to the teeth and raring to do what Hunters do best: hunting for Benders.

"Oh no…" said Edd almost silently. "What do we do now?"

"We'll never get to Grandma's house," said Nazz, flopping onto the cobbled ground, "and the Hunters will get there first and they could…could…" Nazz began to softly weep at the thought of what the Hunters could do to her beloved grandma.

"Don't worry," reassured Rebecca, bending down beside the newly-revealed Avatar, "I promise that we'll get there first."

"How do you propose we do that?" asked Edd. "By traversing across the rooftops?"

"Exactly, Double D!" beamed the acrobat. "Great minds think alike!"

Edd's face fell at the thought of rigorous travel, at night, and especially on rooftops!"Don't worry," laughed Rebecca at seeing Edd's expression, "it's a piece of cake! Help me up, Rolf!" Rolf put his two hands together, and Rebecca stepped into them. Rolf pushed her up with great strength, and Rebecca, after doing a flip in mid-air, landed safely on a nearby rooftop.

"Smarty-pants Ed boy is next," said Rolf, causing the frail Ed boy to quickly back away.

"Oh no," he protested, "there is absolutely no way that you're making me jump onto that roof!"

"Rolf will just make you then," calmly replied the Earthbender, grabbing Edd and throwing him onto the roof, where Rebecca caught him before he fainted from fright.

"I'm next," said Nazz, and Rolf threw her up onto the roof.

"How will you get up?" called Edd down to him. As means of reply, the patch of ground surrounding Rolf began to rise up until it was level with the roof. Rolf stepped off of it, smiling at Edd and Nazz's surprised faces.

"That was amazing," commented Nazz, when some voices floated up from the alley beneath them.

"Look at this. The cobbles are jagged around the edges, like they were broken apart…"

"Wait here," spoke Rebecca, and she leapt down off the roof. She swiftly leapt from wall to wall, like a ninja of old, striking each of the three Hunters in various places on their bodies. They all fell simultaneously, and Rebecca, pushing of the alley walls, landed back on the rooftop.

"What did you do?" asked Nazz, amazed at Rebecca's grace and agility.

"If I may say so," spoke Edd, "I believe that you struck various pressure points on the Hunters bodies, in order to disable physical activity."

"Exactly!" beamed Rebecca, but their joy was short-lived as more Hunters began to approach the alley.

"We need to **go**," spoke Edd, and they set out across the rooftops…

ooo

Edd was travelling with Rebecca, while Nazz was running along with Rolf ahead of them.

"So," asked Rebecca, striking up a conversation with Edd, "is Nazz you're, like, sister?"

"Oh no," said Edd, "Nazz isn't my sister. I simply live with her, as well as her grandmother."

"What happened to your family?" asked Rebecca, who was now extremely curious.

"…I don't know," said Edd sadly. "Nazz's grandmother, Eleion, found me on her doorstep one night when Nazz and I were both babies."

"You mean you were abandoned?" asked Rebecca, her eyes wide.

"Yes," replied Edd, his eyes downcast and his speed slightly decreasing.

"That's weird, because I was too!" remarked Rebecca.

"Really?" asked Edd, shocked that this girl, too, had been left.

"Yeah," explained the acrobat, "I was left on Rolf's family's doorstep when I was a year old, with two things; a note explaining who I was, and this bracelet." Rebecca pulled up her hoodie sleeve, and showed him the bracelet. It was made of pure silver, with an aquamarine crystal embedded in it, the jewel glowing with blue light.

"That jewel looks familiar," mused Edd, "but that can't be; I don't think I've ever seen something like it…""That's odd," replied Rebecca, and the two of them continued running onwards. Meanwhile, Rolf and Nazz had been having a conversation of their own.

"So Rolf," said Nazz, "if I am the Avatar-and I don't think I am-then what do I have to do?"

"Rolf will teach you how to master Earthbending, and then we shall find you teachers who will instruct you in Waterbending, Firebending and Airbending."

"Oh," said Nazz, "will it be easy, dude?"

"It will take time," was all Rolf said, and he jumped off of the roof and onto the quiet, peaceful street below.

"Double D," called Nazz back to her life-long friend, "we're here!" She too leapt onto the street, followed by Rebecca and then Edd. Nazz ran up to her houses front door, and rapped swiftly on the wooden surface. Almost instantly Eleion opened the door, and without berating or scolding Nazz and Edd, motioned the group to quickly come inside. She locked the door after them, and turned to the youngsters.

"Rolf," she said, "you're bigger then when I saw you last."

"Madam Eleion," said Rolf bowing respectfully, "my father said you lived in Althea (the town). I was told to seek you out."

"Very well," replied the elderly lady, nodding in understanding. "Then Nazz must go with you too."

"You mean…" asked Nazz, stunned beyond rational belief. "I…I'm the Avatar?"

"Yes, my dear," said Eleion, her eyes shining with tears of pride. "I had hoped to wait another two years before I told you, but I must do it now."

"So…are you even my grandmother, or were you just here to protect me?" asked Nazz angrily.

"I am your grandmother," reassured Eleion, "and I always have been."

"What about my parents?" screamed Nazz.

"They died protecting you while you were a baby, before I took you here to Althea," said Eleion, and tears began to gently trickle out of her eyes.

"You mean they're dead?" asked Nazz quietly, her knees buckling underneath her.

"Yes," cried Eleion, "they are."

"What about me?" asked Edd sadly. "Did my parents die as well, or was I really just found?"

"Your parents thought it would be safer for you if you lived away from them. You too, Rebecca."

"How do you know all this?" questioned Rebecca, the heated emotion in the room giving her a bad vibe.

"I knew all of you when you were newborns," stated Eleion," and I was chosen to protect Eddward as well as my granddaughter."

"Well what do we do now?" asked Nazz, just now adjusting to the shock of discovering that she was the Avatar.

"You need to escape this place," replied her grandma, "and travel North to Alphaville. There is a person there who knows about your parents, and can explain more. But first, come with me."

The group followed the little old lady, and out into the back garden. It was a beautiful, serene place, with an ornate pond and many lush, vibrant plants. Eleion, the moonlight shining on her pale face, walked over to a rose bush, and pulled out a large chest. She took out a key from her dress pocket, and unlocked the chest. It opened, and the others peered at the items inside.

There were several weapons all arranged neatly in the box. There was a large, slender bow, crafted from the finest white oak, and an ivory quiver to accompany it, filled with sleek, sharpened arrows. There was also a little dagger to go along with it, the blade made of oralcium, and the handle ivory too.

Next was a long wooden staff, which was made of brown oak. It was thin and covered in swirls, with a block embedded at the tip of it. Besides it was a pair of hard, steel bracers, with claws at the knuckles (AN: Like Wolverine's.)

"Edd," said Eleion, "this bow is for you. Though it may look primitive, it is better than any gun. Nazz, the staff is yours and these bracers, Rolf, are for you." Each of the three accepted the gift, while Eleion pulled out a leather pouch from her pocket. "Rebecca, this is for your needles."

"Thank you!" replied the girl happily, taking the pouch and attaching it to her belt, which was black.

"I must now depart," said Eleion," but I will see you all again." She looked sadly at Nazz. "I'm sorry, my child, that I can't explain more. Never worry, though, for all will be revealed in time." She stepped onto the grass, and was swallowed by the earth.

"Grandma's an Earthbender?" asked Nazz surprised.

"It appears like we weren't told a lot of things," stated Edd sourly.

"Now, we have to leave this place," said Rebecca, and they ran out of the house and onto the street.

ooo

"Look! There they are!"

A group of Hunters, assembled at the end of Leera Street, saw Nazz, Edd, Rolf and Rebecca emerging from the house.

"Get ready!" cried Rebecca, and the battle soon began.

The Hunters screamed and charged, waving their swords and spears in the air as they ran towards the valiant foursome. Edd, acting on impulse (which was odd for him), notched and arrow in his bow, and fired at a Hunter. The arrow pierced his chest, and he fell down, clutching himself in pain. Edd, wide-eyed at what he had just done, backed away from the Hunters, a sense of guilt, for he had never harmed a living creature, overcoming him.

Rebecca, meanwhile, was much more relaxed about fighting the Hunters, and was landing blows left, right and centre. She pulled out several of her trademark needles, and began pinning them into Hunters who tried to capture her. One of them brandished his blade, and lashed out at Rebecca. With agility gained from years of acrobatics, Rebecca easily dodged the attack and swung around, trying to attack with her needles. The Hunter evaded the attack, and lunged at her right leg. The attack hit home, and Rebecca cried out in pain as a small gash was made on her lowed leg. The Hunter smirked, and punched Rebecca violently in the stomach. Blood, bright crimson like cherries, splattered out of her mouth, and an odd gasping sound came from her throat as Rebecca tried to find air. The Hunter, believing her to be finished, began to walk away; not seeing Rebecca's triumphant smile. She leapt up, and threw the needles at the receding Hunter. They hit with K.O. accuracy, and the Hunter fell instantly, the needles puncturing pressure points in his skin. Two more Hunters advanced, and Rebecca decided to leave her needles. Jumping up, she landed a double kick at the head of one Hunter, knocking him to the ground. She landed on his body, and punched his face. He groaned in pain, and was effectively knocked out. Rebecca then cart wheeled over to his astonished comrade, and, while upside down, booted him in the groin. Keeling over in agony, this gave Rebecca the chance to apply pressure to a point on his neck. He screamed in pain, before his eyes bugged out and he collapsed. Smiling in victory, Rebecca readied more needles and ran over to a group of cowering Hunters, who soon fell as a result of her attack.

Rolf, on the other hand, was leaving the Hunters to the others; he was focusing on disabling the cars and trucks, which had morphed into tanks due to their design. One, advancing forward, fired a bomb at him. Rolf pushed out his hands, and a wall of grey stone shot up before him, shielding him from the bomb's blast. Rolf stamped on the ground, and the wall of rock shot out like a wave, slamming into the tank and sending it flying over the rooftops, a splash being heard as it landed. Rolf ran up to another tank and jumped onto it, grabbing the top and ripping it off, the sound of tearing metal causing the occupants to cover their ears. When the sound faded, the two Hunter drivers looked up to see a furious Rolf standing on the above them, the roof thrown towards another tank.

"You shall pay for what you have done to Rolf's people!"

He grabbed the man and woman and roughly pulled them out of the tank. Ignoring their screams and pleas for mercy, he threw them towards a group of Hunters who were surrounding Rebecca. The Hunters were knocked down like a set of bowling pins, and Rebecca gave a thumbs up to Rolf.

"Thanks, Rolfie!"

Rolf nodded in reply, and began to stretch out his arms. Pieces of asphalt from the pavements began to move towards him, wrapping around his hands until they were two giant stone fists. Rolf put his left foot behind him, and the tank he was standing on shot off towards its material siblings. Rolf smashed tank after tank, swatted Hunter after Hunter until a large portion of the street was covered in the smouldering remains of the tanks. When you're an Earthbender, destroying stuff never really gets old.

Nazz and Edd were side by side, battling against the Hunters. Edd was reluctant to harm them, because, though they were evil, he was against any form of violence. Nazz, on the other hand, was giving it her all, as she whacked Hunter after Hunter with her staff. One of the armour-clad warriors twirled his spear at her, and Nazz managed to avoid it a micro-second before it pierced her chest. Nazz slammed the top of her staff into the Hunter's wrist, and the spear clattered to the ground as its owner cried out in pain. Nazz stood before him and slammed her staff onto his skull. Unbeknownst to her, however, another Hunter stood behind Nazz, sword in hand and ready to execute her. Edd saw this, and shouted out a warning to Nazz.

"NAZZ! BEHIND YOU!"

Nazz turned and saw the Hunter, ready to decapitate her. Nazz tried to run, but her body was rooted to the ground; she was too scared to move. As the Hunter readied his sword, raising it above his head, Edd overcame his hatred of violence in order to save Nazz. He notched an arrow in his bow, and let it go, the arrow zooming through the air towards the Hunter. It smoothly slid into his neck, and the Hunter let out a strange, garbled cry as he fell onto the ground.

"Double D!" cried Nazz, running over to her savoir, who was staring at the bow in shock. "You, like, saved me, dude!"

"I-I killed someone…" stammered Edd, staring blankly into space as Nazz began to grow worried about him.

"Double D," she said, "he's not dead. You didn't kill him; it's O.K., dude."

"I-I didn't k-kill him?" Edd managed to stutter, his body going into shock as he gripped Nazz's arm tightly.

"Yeah, dude," Nazz managed to smile. "Now can you let go? You're kind of hurting me."

"Oh!" cried Edd, letting go of Nazz's right arm. "I'm so sorry, Nazz, I didn't mean to-"

"Ed-boy and Nazz-girl!" cried Rolf. "Watch out for the scourge of metal!"

"What?" asked Nazz, before a giant robot arm came crashing down next to her and Edd. Nazz screamed, as a cloud of dust came up around them. She was flung away, from the aftershock, and landed several metres away on the road. She looked up, but the dust, still as thick, hindered her vision, not to mention the fact that it was very irritating for her eyes. It finally settled, and Nazz looked up, only to see Edd, Rolf and Rebecca all standing before a fiend that struck fear into Nazz's heart.

It was a monstrous bird, the whole body crafted from bronze and iron. The huge, angelic wings were fashioned of bronze, while the tips of the metal feathers were iron. The eagle's head was bronze, with an iron beak and beady, robotic blue eyes. The huge talons at the end of its iron legs were bronze as well, with layers of tin armour on it. At the centre, were its chest should have been, was something very different; a large, golden cage, with many wires running from it all over the birds body. Inside the cage, hooked up to some sort of mechanical seat, was a young girl, unconscious and bound to the throne-like machine. From what Nazz could see, she had wavy purple hair and a red dress on, but her eyes were closed and her hair was damp, while an oxygen mask covered her mouth.

"There's someone in that thing!" cried Nazz in alarm.

"What _is _that thing anyway?" asked Rebecca.

"ManaCage Mark 1: Alpha," said Edd.

"How do you know that?"

"My Digi-Bestiary knows," said Edd. He pulled a DS-like thing out of his pocket and showed it to the others. "Aunt Eleion got it for me for my birthday. It's a scanning machine that you can use to find out information about anything. For example, it says that this being here was created by the Hunter army, and that it is used to capture Benders."

"That's horrible!" cried Nazz, glaring at the machine which glared right back at her.

"That's not all, however," continued Edd. "When it has captured a Bender, this monstrosity can place the kidnapped individual inside of the cage where it's torso should be. The ManaCage can then absorb the Bender's powers, and use it for it's own purposes. While captured, the Bender is put in stasis, but after about ten years their power runs out, and the ManaCage must find a new prisoner."

"That's sick on so many levels," digressed Rebecca. Just as she finished speaking, though, the ManaCage began to glow a bright blue, as a ball of energy former in the robotic bird's open beak. The imprisoned girl's face tense slightly, and she fell limp, her body slackening as the glowing stopped. The bird cawed in rage, and a jet of water careened out of its mouth. The group managed to dodge it, leaving the road soaked and damp. A little door appeared in the cage, and as if by magic, the girl was flung out.

"Hey!" cried Nazz, running over to her. "Are you O.K.?"

"…"

"Wake up!"

"…"

"ARE YOU O.K.?"

"…"

"Nazz," said Edd gently, walking over to his lifelong friend, "I think that she's…" Edd couldn't finish the last part, as both he and Nazz began to cry over the death of a girl they barely knew.

"You're going to pay for that!" screamed Rebecca. Before she could rip into the metal avian, a swarm of Hunters began to surround the group.

"Rolf believes that we must fight!" cried the buff Earthbender, sending sphere after sphere of rock at any Hunter who came with three metres of him.

"I'm with you, Rolf!" agreed Rebecca, and she began to lash her fists at the warriors.

"We must help them, Nazz," pressed Edd.

"You're right!" cried Nazz, readying her staff. She turned to look one final time at the girl's body, but it had vanished.

"The planet must have taken her," said Edd sombrely, and he readied his bow. Nazz ran forward, beginning the assault against the Hunters. Soon many of them had fallen, while others were putting up a valiant, yet futile, fight against the group. After the last Hunter fell, the group finally relaxed.

"I'm glad that's over," panted Nazz.

"Wait," breathed Edd, "aren't we forgetting something?"

"CAAAWWWW!"

"I think the Ed-boy is right!" cried Rolf, as the ManaCage landed in front of them.

"Leave this to me!" grinned Rebecca, running up to the monster. She pulled out several of her needles, and threw them at the beast's head.

They had no effect.

"Aaaiihh!" screamed Rebecca, as the monster kicked her away with its clawed foot. She landed, roughly, on the pavement, and she struggled to move.

"Take this, metal demon from Hell!" screamed Rolf, berserk, as he slammed his fist into the cage.

It made a dent.

The ManaCage then picked him up, with his beak, and flung him away, over the heads of an astounded Nazz and Edd.

"Looks like it's just the two of us, Double D," whispered Nazz. The ManaCage began to advance towards them, its tiny eyes fixed on Nazz. Then Edd done something that shocked Nazz; he ran up to beast, giving a valiant war-cry, and shot an arrow between its eyes.

"Don't you dare touch Nazz!"The bird, squawking with what sounded like laughter, swatted him away with it's right wing. Edd flew through the dark air, slamming into a building wall. Nazz watched, horrified, as a trickle of blood began to drip from the corner of his mouth.

"NO!"

Nazz screamed in rage, and bent over on the ground. A sense of power began to pervade her body; it seared through her core, and washed over her spirit. It was a feeling unlike anything she had felt before, and it was something she feared yet adored at the same time.

It was the sense of being in the Avatar State.

Nazz began to glow a bright blue, her eyes shining the same colour as the luminescent aura that surrounded her. Nazz moved her fists in a fluid, wave-like pattern, and a pillar of rock ripped through the ManaCage. It burst apart, as though it were a mere doll, and the other three looked at Nazz with both awe and fear.

Then a whiteness overcame everything, and Nazz saw no more.

ooo

"Where am I?" asked Nazz, her voice echoing in the whiteness. She was floating, surrounded by whiteness, the white like a blank canvas waiting to be smeared with colours.

_You are safe_, spoke a voice.

"Who are you?" asked Nazz.

_I am you_, spoke the womanly voice, and a shining ball began to materialise before Nazz.

"What do you mean?"

_I am Avatar Shanom, the Avatar before you._

"Why am I here?"

_To learn, and-wait, do not come here_!

Shanom's voice faded, and the whiteness became blackness. A young girl, of about twelve, appeared in front of the current Avatar, making Nazz gasp; the girl was remarkably like herself!

She wore a short, sleeveless white dress, white ordinary white sandals. She had long, blonde hair, like Nazz's when it wasn't tied up, though it was slightly spiky. Her eyes were the deepest, piercing blue, but though they were beautiful, they were un-human. Nazz tried to speak, but found that she couldn't; an unknown force was binding her tongue.

"Everything is falling into place," whispered the girl, and Nazz tensed; she even sounded like her! The girl walked up to Nazz, and lightly touched her forehead. Now everything was dark, and Nazz knew true emptiness.

Ooo

AN: Cliff-hanger! Who was the mysterious girl? What did she do to Nazz? Find out the answer to the second question in the next chapter!


End file.
